A large majority of women color their hair, either to cover gray or permanently change hair color. Permanent change in hair color may be obtained by oxidative dyes or bleaching. Oxidative hair dyes are widely used since they provide permanent color to hair, generally lasting from four to six weeks. Oxidative hair dyes are usually sold in the form of a two component kit. In one container is an aqueous alkaline composition in the liquid or creme form that contains oxidative dyes in addition to other ingredients. In the other container is a peroxide solution that contains an oxidizing agent, usually hydrogen peroxide. The two components are mixed immediately prior to use and applied to hair. The dye precursors in the lotion then penetrate the hair, and the oxidizing agent oxidizes the dye precursors to produce color in the hair, as well as lightening the melanin in the hair. The mixture is left on the hair for an appropriate period of time, generally 20 to 60 minutes, then rinsed off with water.
Most consumers complain that a hair color process that takes 20 to 60 minutes is too long. It is estimated that if oxidative dyeing and bleaching of hair were a 5 to 10 minute process, more consumers would be inclined to color their hair. Certain commercial products exist that advertise 5 to 10 minute color, but these systems only deposit temporary color on the surface of the hair and are not capable of permanently lightening hair, or causing a permanent color change to hair. Thus, the current commercial products have limited usefulness.
Accordingly, there is a need for providing compositions and processes for oxidative dyeing and/or bleaching of hair that enables permanent coloration of hair in 5 to 10 minutes. The coloring will include covering gray as well as providing permanent color change to the hair.
Liquid crystalline preparations are known for use in cosmetics and personal care products. Liquid crystals are a special phase of matter, in particular, the intermediate phase of matter that exists between a three dimensional ordered crystalline state and a disordered dissolved state. In a liquid crystal, some of the molecular order characteristics found in a solid phase are retained in the liquid state because of molecular orientation of molecules found within the composition. Many compounds are known to contribute to formation of liquid crystals; which have been widely used to encapsulate active ingredients, or act as delivery vehicles for drugs, cosmetics, fragrances, and the like.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,831 teaches foundation makeup composition containing liquid crystals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,074 teaches aqueous surfactant preparations containing liquid crystals. These aqueous surfactant compositions are used to prepare laundry and dishwashing detergents, or hair and body care preparations for cleansing or conditioning skin.
It has most unexpectedly been discovered that when peroxide compositions used in bleaching or oxidative dyeing of hair are in the liquid crystalline form, the amount of time necessary to lighten or color the hair is substantially reduced.
It is an object of the invention to provide a liquid crystalline peroxide composition for use in bleaching or oxidative dyeing of hair which is in a single phase.
It is another object of the invention to provide a peroxide composition for use in a five to ten minute process for bleaching or oxidative dyeing of hair.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for oxidative dyeing and/or bleaching of hair in five to ten minutes.
It is another object of the invention to provide an oxidative hair dye or bleach composition mixed immediately prior to use, that is the liquid crystalline form.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for reducing the amount of time necessary to permanently lighten or color hair in conventional products, by using liquid crystalline peroxide compositions.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for permanently lightening or coloring hair with a liquid crystalline composition comprised of a mixture of liquid crystalline peroxide and an alkaline composition, wherein the presence of liquid crystals causes increased penetration of the active ingredients into the hair shaft, and thereby reduces the amount of time necessary to achieve lightening or permanent coloration of the hair.